Refrigerating apparatus



(No Model.)

H. au vR. R. MAX-WELL. RBFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Patented May 19, 1896.

FIIII 7 w/TN STES A TTOHIVE YS.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

HU MAXVELL AND ROBERT R. MAXVELL, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.` 560,516, dated May 19,1896. Application filed October 30,1895. Serial No. 567,354. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HU MAXWELL and ROBERT R. MAXWELL, of Fresno,in thecounty of Fresno and State of California, have invented a new andImproved Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a full,clear, andexact description.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatusfor'refrigerating by evaporation, and one which will be better adaptedfor domestic'use than those heretofore employed.

The invention has subordinate objects, among which are the production ofan apparatus in which the highest degree of cleanliness will be assured,and also one which is cheaper and more durable than prior devices.

To these ends the invention consists in certain peculiar features ofconstruction and combinations of parts that will be fully describedhereinafter, and finally embodied in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of our invention, parts beingshown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same,taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inventionwith parts broken away, and Fig. -t is an enlarged detail section.

The invention comprises a frame formed of four vertical standards 5, thesame being arranged in rectangular relation to each other and having abottom portion rigidly secured to them, the said bottom portioncomprising a raised central part G and a continuous edge trough 7, thestandards 5 being passed through the middle of the trough 7. Secured tothe upper extremities of the standards 5 is a second and continuoustrough 8, the same being rectangular in form and conforming to thedisposition of the standards 5.

A U -shaped frame 9 has its horizontal portion rested in the front partof the trough 7 midway between the front standards 5, and has itsvertical portions extended upwardly and secured to the front portion ofthe trough S. Extending across from one of the vertical portions of theframe 9 to the other is a bracebar 10. Hinged to the left-hand verticalportion of the frame 9 are the doors 11- and 12, said doors jointlycovering the space inclosed by the frame 9 and being providedwithfastening devices 13 and 14 of any approved construction. The doors 11and 12 are arranged one above the other, and the upper edge of the door11 is level with the middle of the bar 10, while the lower edge of thedoor 12 is parallel with and directly adjacent to the upper edge of thedoor 11.

Rigidly secured to and rising from the bottom of the apparatus andarranged one at each corner of the raised portion 6 are rods 15,V saidrods being four in number and being extended upwardly to a point levelwith the trough 8. Bent over the trough 8 and lying in folds on eachside thereof is an absorbent cloth 16, which is pressed into the trough8 by means of the downwardly-extended ianges 17 of the top 18, the saidtop 18 being-rectangular in form to conform to the shape of the trough 8and having a wire-gauze or other reticulat'ed central portion 19.

The cloth 16 lies on the inner and outer sides of the standards 5, andthe inner layer is lheld from being drawn toward the center of the@device by means of the rods 15, which, as best shown in Fig. 3, serveto hold two layers or folds of cloth parallel. The cloth extendsunbroken in two layers around the back and sides of the apparatus, andat the front the cloth terminates at the vertical portions of the frame9, the 'edges lof the outer layer or fold being secured to theperforated outer side of said portions by means'of suitable threads orcords 9a, as shown in Fig. 1, while the edges of the inner layer or foldare respectively passed around the rods 21, and thence extendedforwardly to the inner sides of the vertical portions of the frame 9 andsecured to the same by means like that which holds the outer layer. Thecloth is held in place around the corners of the frame by means of hooks23, which are respectively arranged at the upper and lower ends of thestandards 5 and rods 15 and pass through the cloth to keep it in theproper relative position and to prevent it from becoming twisted ordisarranged. It will be seen that the lower edges of the cloth are heldin the trough 7. The trough 7 is provided with an outlet-pipe 24, whichhas its upper end raised above the IOO bottom of the trough and locatedbelow the upper edge of the trough, so as to effectively prevent theoverflow of the same.

Seated on the top 1S is a water-reservoir 25, which may be of anypreferred construction and which is provided with a cock or faucet 2G,whereby the water from the reservoir may be fed iirst into the trough Sand allowed to percolate and pass down the cloth 16 to the trough 7 fromwhich the overflow may pass through the pipe 24C, as will be understood.

Secured to the under side of the top 18 are four eyes 27, to which therods 2S are respectively and pivotally connected. These rods have theshelves 29 and 31 secured thereto, the shelves being arranged one abovethe other, as shown. It will be seen that the rods 15 serve toeffectively prevent the cloth from making contact with the shelves, andit will also be seen the shelves may be readily removed for cleaning andother purposes by lifting up the cover 1S.

It is important that all of the parts of our invention, excepting thecloth 16, be constructed of galvanized iron or other non-corrosive metalor material, for this is ei'ective in preventing mold and other foulaccumulations, all of which are detrimental both to the efficiency ofthe apparatus as a refrigerator and to the health of the persons usingthe ap pliance.

In thc operation of our invention the rcscrvoir 25 is filled with waterand the cloth 1G adj usted so as to cover the parts, as shown in thedrawings. lVater from the reservoir 25 should now be admitted into thetrough S, and this water will be quickly absorbed by the cloth 1G andwill gradually percolate through and down the cloth and be deposited inthe trough 7. The evaporation of the water absorbed by the cloth 16effects the process of refrigeration, as is well understood, andarticles of food and other perishable goods contained wit-hin theapparatus will be well preserved.

As the process of evaporation deprives the cloth of water more may besupplied from the reservoir 25 after the manner above described. It willbe seen that, owing to the arrangement of the cloth in the troughs '7and 8 and to the easily-removable means for securing the cloth, thecloth may be readily re moved for the purpose of washing and repairing,the former of which is indispensable in this class of devices, since theaccumulation of impurities in the cloth would be both detrimental to theeffective operation of the apparatus and to the health of persons usingthe same. It will be observed that the trough 7, being continually fullof water, prevents vermin from reaching the interior of the apparatus.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An evaporativerefrigerating apparatus, consisting of two troughs arranged one abovethe other, standards connecting the troughs and supporting the uppertrough, rods rigid with the lower trough and extending upwardly parallelwith the standards and inward from the same, an outer and inner clothformed of one piece and running up over thc upper trough and having itslower edges dipped in the lower trough, the outer cloth engaging thestandard and the inner cloth being held by the rods, and a top platehaving a downwardly-extending flange depressing the cloth into the uppertrough, substantially as described.

2. An evaporative refrigerating apparatus having an upper trough,standards for supporting the trough, a cloth folded over the trough anddropping on each side thereof, a top plate having downwardly extendingiianges projected into the trough and pressing the cloth thereinto, andshelves suspended from the top plate and inclosed by the cloth,substantially as described.

8. An evaporative refrigerating apparatus, comprising an upper and alower trough', standards rigidly connecting the troughs, rods rigid withthe lower trough and extending upwardly parallel with and inward of thestandards, an outer and inner cloth consisting of one piece carried upover the upper trough, the outer cloth being engaged with the standardsand the inner cloth being engaged with the rods, the lower edges of thecloths being dipped in the lower troughs, a top plate having downwardlyextending flanges pressing the cloth into the upper trough, and shelvessuspended from the top plate and incloscd by the cloths, substantiallyas described.

4. An evaporative refrigerating apparatus, consisting of an upper and alower trough, standards connecting the two troughs, a top plate having adownwardly'extendin g flange projected into the upper trough, rods rigidwith the lower trough and extending up parallel with and inward of thestandards, an outer and inner cloth consisting of one piece carried upover the upper trough and pressed into the same by the iange of the topplate, the lower edges of the cloths being dipped in the lower trough,an angular frame secured to the two troughs and to which frame thecloths are connected, and a door for said i'rame, substantially asdescribed.

IIU MAXXVELL. ROBERT R. liIAXWEL'L.

lVitnesses:

A; M. DREW, R. L. BADER.

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